Give Us Feedback!

Your opinions and feedback are extremely important to us. We have an online feedback form where you can let us know about your experience at CFSBK. We want to know what you like, what you don't like, and what you'd like to see in the future. Information from these forms is discussed by staff so we can continue to evolve and best serve our community. Please let us know what you think!

Give Us Feedback!

Your opinions and feedback are extremely important to us. We have an online feedback form where you can let us know about your experience at CFSBK. We want to know what you like, what you don't like, and what you'd like to see in the future. Information from these forms is discussed by staff so we can continue to evolve and best serve our community. Please let us know what you think!

Bend, Stretch, and Mobilize This Morning, and Get Your Open Gym On This Afternoon

Can't make one of our morning classes today? We're now offering open gym hours on Saturdays from 2-4pm. Meet in 597 today!

Olympic Weightlifting Cycle Mock Meet Tomorrow at 2:30pm

Tomorrow at 2:30pm you're invited to see Coach Frank's Olympic Lifting Program athletes test themselves in a mock Oly meet. If you've been to Coach Jeremy's CrossFit Totals at the end of each cycle, this event is essentially its weightlifting equivalent. Each lifter will have three attempts at the snatch and clean and jerk.

The CrossFit Kids Trainer course is this weekend at CFSBK! All regular classes and open gym will run as planned in 597 and the Annex, as the course will be taking place in 608.

Give Us Feedback!

Your opinions and feedback are extremely important to us. We have an online feedback form where you can let us know about your experience at CFSBK. We want to know what you like, what you don't like, and what you'd like to see in the future. Information from these forms is discussed by staff so we can contineu to evolve and best serve our community. Please let us know what you think!

Have You Met Our Friends Over at The Modern Chemist Yet?

This funky/fun/friendly pharmacy is celebrating its first year on 4th Avenue (on the corner of Sackett). There will be a free massage therapist, balloons, raffles, skin consultations, free samples, live music, face painting, and more! Come celebrate with them TOMORROW from 10am-4pm, 191 4th Ave & Sackett.

All The Good Reps, and Only the Good Reps

We’ve almost all been there before. You’re tired, it’s your 50th pull-up, handstand push-up, power snatch, or whatever. You sort of, kind of, maybe executed full range-of-motion—but then again, maybe you didn’t. Then, you maybe even tried to squeeze in another (no) rep! Coaches see this, your fellow athletes see this, and you see this.

With a judge in front of you—whether it’s a regular group class, during the Open, or at a local throwdown—you’ll have a harder time getting away with garbage reps. I’d suggest that you shouldn’t let yourself off the hook in your daily training either. Your continued progress over the long haul is the ultimate goal. You want your movements to be truly quantifiable. If you count reps where sometimes your chin gets over the bar and sometimes it doesn’t, then you’re left comparing apples to durian fruit.

At CFSBK, we strive for virtuosity—the principle that you should aim to perform even the simplest movements exceedingly well. With effort and practice, your 300th squat in “Murph” can and in fact should be a mirror image of your first. Be honest about your reps and if you’re not 101% sure, then don’t count them. It sucks, yeah, but don’t be that person who moves really fast but really poorly. Don’t be the person who the next class coming in looks at and says “Uh uh... that’s not a rep.” Be the person with whom you’d be impressed, even if it slows you down a bit. Consider that you may need to scale WODs sometimes. The Rx isn’t for everybody, and even if you do some or most of our WODs Rx’d, there may be some that you should scale load and/or volume. Then, even when you really, really tried to do a good rep but didn’t, resist the urge to count your effort as execution. Only count the good ones.

Russ H and his family visited us from Canada for "Murph," and his son stayed by his side as his personal photographer and judge

CFSBK Sports Team Updates

The Fighting Tacos have their first soccer playoff game TONIGHT at Pier 3 in Brooklyn Bridge Park at 7:50pm. Come cheer them on!

The Spiking Tacos had their third volleyball game last night at Pier 6 in Brooklyn Bridge Park, and won all three games (through a forfeiture, but whatever), putting them at 6-3.

The Boccino Tacos have their first bocce game on Friday... no, lol, just kidding. There isn't a CFSBK Bocce Ball team but we thought you might need a laugh after seeing the WOD.

Join Steph P.'s Spin Fundraiser on June 20th

While OG Steph Paddock has been taking some time away from CFSBK, she's been training hard for her upcoming Ironman 70.3 this August—and has been hard at work fundraising for Team Fox, raising money for The Michael J. Fox Foundation. On Saturday, June 20th she'll be hosting a spin fundraiser at Peloton Cycle in Chelsea. The 45-minute class includes shoe rental, water, and towels and will be followed by free wine and beer, snacks, and raffle prizes. Class starts at 12:45pm but guests should arrive by 12:15pm to get signed in.

All proceeds from the fundraiser will go directly to funding Parkinson's research! You can purchase tickets here!

"Jerry"

Want to learn more about our CrossFit Preschool and CrossFit Kids programs? Info about these programs now lives on our Programs and Membership Options page here. The mission of both programs is to emphasize good movement through games and activities. Developing a positive association between fitness, physical activity, and the joy of movement is the primary goal of our program. Think of it like the gym class you wish you had growing up! If you want to sign your kids up, check out the latest sessions and options in our online store under "Kids."

Happy belated birthday, Ben A.!

Meat CSA Pickup Today! And How about Fish?

The Herondale meat pickup is today, 6-8:30pm. Remember to bring bags to carry your share home. Any issues or questions, please text Michele at 347-645-4524, or email her at mignyc [at] gmail.com.

If you are still looking to sign up for the new fish CSA with Big City Fish Share, the deadline to get in before the first delivery is Wednesday. Sign up here; the first delivery is next Saturday, June 13.

Bone Marrow Donor Registry Drive at CFSBK on June 21

The cure for blood cancer is in your hands. Every four minutes, someone is diagnosed with a blood cancer like leukemia or lymphoma. For many patients a marrow transplant is the only life-saving treatment, yet 70% don’t have a matching marrow donor in their family, like little Asaya. CrossFit South Brooklyn is hosting a donor registry drive in partnership with BE THE MATCH, which over the past 25 years has managed the largest and most diverse marrow registry in the world and offers support and education before, during and after transplant.

A representative from BE THE MATCH will be at CFSBK on Sunday, June 21 from 9:30am-2:30pm to explain what it means to join the registry, plus help you understand the health requirements and the commitment. After completing the necessary paperwork, all you then have to do to complete your registration is give four swabs of cheek cells, that’s it! Your cheek cells with then be tissue-typed and become a part of the registry doctors around the world search to find matches for their patients for potential bone marrow donation.

Additional Details About the Donation ProcessThere are no restrictions in terms of not eating/drinking prior to your cheek swab, but donors do need to be ages of 18-44 and in good general health.

If you are selected, donors will be asked to donate in one of two ways:

Peripheral blood cell (PBSC) donation involves removing a donor's blood through a needle in one arm. The blood is passed through a machine that separates out the cells used in transplants. The remaining blood is returned through the other arm.

Bone marrow donation is a surgical procedure in which liquid marrow is withdrawn from the back of the donor's pelvic bones using needles. Anesthesia is always used for this procedure, so donors feel no pain during marrow donation. Most donors feel some pain in their lower back for a few days afterwards.

Julie Foucher has been one of the most consistent performers in women’s CrossFit, with Top 5 finishes in all four of her CrossFit Games appearances. Even more impressively, she’s done this while working toward a medical degree at Case Western Reserve University. Julie tore her Achille's tendon during a box jump event last week, but she continued to compete in her walking boot, finishing 11th in the event featured above. Read more here.

News and Notes

Edgar L., principal at Jordan L. Mott Middle School, is wondering if you have any fitness equipment you might like to donate to a good cause (kettlebells, dumbbells, medballs, jumpropes, plyoboxes etc.). His physical education faculty are trying to expand their horizons and want to outfit a fitness room in our building (though not CrossFit exactly, they are moving towards that continuum). Contact Edgar at Principal [at] mottjhs.org with questions. If you don't have any extra equipment collecting dust in your apartment, consider donating toward their DonorsChoose page here.

Happy birthday, Coach Whit and CrossFit Kiddo Malachi L.!

There's Still Time to Start Training For the Half-Marathon Row at CFSBK on June 14 at 2:15pm with Olympic Rower Coach Nick!

You know you've always wondered, "Gee, what would it be like to row 21,097m?" Well, your chance to get your answer is coming up: SBK will host a 1/2 Marathon Row on June 14th at 2:15. And fear not: we'll show movies during the event. Really, what better way to spend your Sunday afternoon? You can row the full distance or split it up however you want with one other partner.

Coach Nick will send out a DIY program to everyone who signs up and will analyze video of participants' rowing form. The training will consist of at least two long erg sessions a week to get your butts—and calluses—in shape! Expect to devote 1–2+ hours twice a week to this. Sound fun, or what?! (What?)

There are still four ergs available. So that's room for four to eight more people, depending on how many new folks sign up for the full 1/2 marathon or the partner version. If you're interested, REGISTER HERE (scroll to the bottom). Or ask Nick about it, at Nick [at] CrossFitSouthBrooklyn.com.

Our fearless Spartans before and after on Saturday at their race. Based on years past, it looks like they stayed fairly clean! Thanks to Coach MeLo for getting everyone organized and leading the troops yet again. AROO!

More Work? Or a Sip of Water?

You’re mid-"Helen." You’re finishing your second round of kettlebell swings and the pull-up bar is waiting for you. So what do you do? Place your bell down, grab a sip of water, wipe the sweat from your face, chalk up your hands, and then size up the pull-up bar? Or do you ditch the bell and get on the pull-up bar knowing that you’ve only got one round left and the big rest is coming. Last sprint, last swings, last pull-ups. Forget the chalky feeling on your tongue—you’re getting on the leaderboard this time.

In many WODs, a sip of water here and there is totally appropriate. Think "Murph," "Angie," "Barbara" (during the rest), or some other 20-plus-minute chipper-style WOD. These are designed to be done at a medium to medium-high intensity and take significant time to complete; hence they need to be paced out and can allow for a sip or a break. WODs like "Fran," "Annie," and the like are meant to be executed at a high intensity throughout, and take a short time to complete. I feel pretty confident saying that you will not dehydrate during five to 10 minutes it takes to complete either of these couplets. Often though, we see athletes stopping mid-WOD to grab a sip or just to put their hands on their hips and rest. Sometimes, sure, this is appropriate. Are you sick, pregnant, injured, or the like? Then yes, you may need to pace even short WODs. But if not, then be honest with yourself about why you’re reaching for your water bottle again or chalking up for the fourth time in 12 pull-ups. It probably isn’t thirst. It’s being uncomfortable with being uncomfortable.

Let me be clear—I’m not saying not to stay hydrated and on the south sideline of Pukieville, but if this sounds like you, then try this trick. BEFORE the clock starts, drink a cup of water. Then put your water bottle away from you and out of reach. Mid-WOD when you start to think how nice a little H20 would feel on your tongue, use that to motivate you to finish faster. The water is the reward. Finish and it’s yours.

Train smart, but train hard. Remember that intensity is what brings results. Increase your pain tolerance. Try getting more comfortable with being uncomfortable.

Crush Week—during which we bias longer, higher volume or benchmark workouts and overlap elements that were programmed on particular days—begins today. How would you describe your tolerance for discomfort in the gym? Are there types of workouts or specific exercises you find yourself taking lots of breaks from?